I am a junior looking into schools. My first choice is US Naval Academy. Second is Air Force Academy.
I need other options, however… so I am looking into schools with Navy ROTC.
My criteria:
-Navy ROTC
Strong engineering
-Prestigious… focused ang goal-oriented students
-Good undergraduate education
-Low party scene
-Small class sizes
-Endorses free speech
-Small (less important, but would be nice)
My stats:
-1520 SAT
-4.2 weighted GPA (at competitive private school, consistent upward trend from freshman year)
-Can get great recommendations, have great relationships with teachers
-Strong extracurriculars: employed lifeguard and swim instructor, varsity athlete, Sea Cadet, attending Boys State, working with Youth Conservation Corps this summer, took 8 online courses from Ivy league colleges/IBM/Microsoft
-Good essay-writer
Please help. I really have no idea what schools to apply to besides USNA and USAFA, and I need backups…
Well, from this list https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/colleges_nrotc_unitsXP3.html# and considering your criteria…
WPI, URochester, RPI, and Carnegie Mellon are all mid-sized schools with top-notch engineering that seem to be in the right competitiveness zone for your stats and have an intellectual/engaged vibe and not an over-the-top party scene. There are a lot of terrific larger schools on the list as well, plus smaller super-reaches, but those look like the ones that hit the sweet spot, to me.
The Webb Institute offers a dual degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, very small class sizes
and free tuition. Its located on Long Island, 25 miles from New York City.
The Air Force and Army ROTC units are on the WPI campus. The Naval ROTC program is 3.7 miles away on the Holy Cross campus (10 to 15 minutes). When I was a student at WPI, the Navy tried to move their unit to the WPI campus as they wanted the engineering majors. The long tradition and HC Alumni pride kept the unit on the HC campus. The Navy still wants the engineers! There is a consortium bus service which connects WPI and HC.
You are an outstanding student, but I would not count WPI, U Rochester, RPI, and Carnegie Mellon as “safeties” in today’s environment. The last five years or so have grown very competitive at these and many other STEM universities.
Take a look at Rochester Institute of Technology as it is a very solid engineering university with NROTC program. I was surprised to find how few NROTC programs are around.
The lowest GPA on you current list was 3.89 (not weighted). You want more breathing space than that for a safety. All of the Universities listed above have very goal oriented student bodies as it is the nature of engineering majors…
No one outside your high school knows what your 4.2 weighted GPA means. Others can help you more if you list your unweighted GPA and what kind of courses you choose.
If the Academies are your top choices, consider schools with a Corps of Cadets like Virginia Tech. Strong in engineering, with a Corps - and Navy ROTC, of course. Personally, H and I loved our experience there - and he’s a very successful engineer. It’s not a small school by any stretch of the imagination, but the Corps gives one quite the sense of community. Engineering-wise, they are ranked #13 I believe - extremely well respected in our experience.
DD is a freshman engineering student at Virginia tech…she went to a Navy JROTC STEM magnet high school…although she did not opt for the Corps of Cadets, she said it “makes her happy” to see them on campus…happy that it isn’t her anymore!
Her HS was very small - about 75 kids in her graduating class- but she doesn’t find VT overwhelming. It’s a small school, small town feel even though it is actually a big school. The cadets all live together all four years, so there is really a sense of community, but the Corps is such an integral part of VT tradition that more than most places, you will feel your presence as a cadet is not …unacknowledged? If that makes sense. You can do ROTC at a lot of places, but at most other places that experience will be separate from the university.
Which unit do you conduct your officer interview? First choice or ??? Anyone with insight into Villanova, Vanderbilt, or George Washington NROTC programs? Other considerations UNC Chapel Hill (OOS)…
Current end of year junior GPA 4.0 (unweighted) 6 AP Courses so far (5 more next year) 4 year varsity swim (captain), 2 year varsity XC, part-time job, over 120 volunteer hours thus far